


Darkest Dreaming

by Tia4tw



Category: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drug Use, Eventual McKirk, F/M, M/M, Marines, Slow Build, War Injuries, mentions of 9/11
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-11 16:47:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2075580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tia4tw/pseuds/Tia4tw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James T Kirk is an economics student in London when his world comes crashing down, he's a genius able to find algorithms and patterns in things that most people would never spot, but he throws his PhD work away to rush home after his Mother dies in the world trade centre attack. He joins the Marines where he further excels, showing an aptitude for anything he puts his mind to. But even that falls apart when he breaks his back in a helicopter crash and is sent back home to recover. Now he's gained the interest of a CIA Agent and Captain, Christopher Pike as well as his Doctor, Leonard McCoy, who helps with the Soldiers recovery at the request of an old friend despite being a neurosurgeon, not a Physiotherapist.<br/>But along the road to recovery they grow closer and closer. And Pike's wish to have Kirk in the CIA get closer to being fulfilled.<br/>But when they do and Jim works on wall street undercover, will he uncover something too much for even him to handle? And how will his relationship with Len cope with all the secrecy?<br/>(Star Trek/Jack Ryan cross over) Rating will go up in later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Proglogue

_ London School of Economics, 2001 _

Looking around with a frown, Jim heads to the building for his lesson but stops by a group of girls to find out why everyone was rushing around. "hey what's going on?"

"It's all over the news, they have it on the tv inside."

"Thanks." Jim heads in and his frown changes to a look of shock at the image on the tv screen mounted on the wall. The world trade centre was coming down. The report fills in the details for him, explaining how two planes had crashed into the towers, thousands of people still trapped inside the buildings.

An Australian student stops as he goes to pass Jim, recognising him from his class and pats his shoulder sadly. "You're american aren't you? Sorry mate." Then goes to his class.

But Jim could only stand there in shock, unable to even respond to the classmate. Until he finally snaps out of it and heads back out of the buildings towards his halls of residence. He needed to get back home right now.

One of his classmates spots him and comes running over, frowning. "Jim? Jim! Hey where are you going? Our lesson is about to start."

"Yeah well I've got bigger issues than that to deal with right now, sorry Kaidan." Jim keeps walking but Kaidan doesn't leave. "I have to go home, I just saw the news... I need to get back."

"But Jim-"

"My Mom works at the World Trade Centre. Okay. So I'm going back to the States and I'm going to make sure she's okay." The blonde had come to a complete stop now, staring down his friend. "And if she's not... No, that's not an option. But I'm leaving."

Kaidan's expression completely changes, his attitude too, patting his friend on the shoulder gently. "Oh fuck, I'm so sorry Jim... if there's anything you need..."

"I'll be fine. But thanks." Jim goes back up to his room and immediately starts packing a bag. Everything important gets shoved in and the rest would just have to be sent out to him or binned. He didn't care. It was just stuff, it didn't matter. Then he heads downstairs and uses the telephone box just outside the building to call for a taxi to take him to London City airport. It was probably going to cost him a hell of a lot more to fly from there but again, it was just money, it doesn't matter. What matters is getting back to make sure his Mom was okay.

He had already lost his Dad before he was even born, a Marine who had been died saving his entire squad after being promoted to CO as they lost their Captain to the attack. His Mother had received the news of his death only days after Jim's birth. The attack had happened the exact day Jim had come into this world, whilst Winona would have still been in labour. So no, Jim was not ready to lose his Mother too.

Running up to the desk, Jim looks at the woman desperately, baby blues filled with despair and grief. "I need a one way ticket to New York. Yes, I have seen the news and I don't care what's going on. I just need to get back. Please."

"Okay, I'll see if there are any flights still going but... I can't make any promises." The woman types away into her computer, searching the screen. "We have a flight leaving in half an hour to Bradley Airport, Connecticut. There's a few tickets left, you're lucky. I'm surprised it's still going at all."

Jim sighs with relief and pays for the ticket on his credit card then runs to get through security and to the boarding gate. "Please be okay..." he mutters to himself.

_ Afghanistan, 2003 _

_I, James Tiberius Kirk, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, so help me, God._

Two years since the incident, since his Mother had died and Jim had joined the Marines to serve, surprising many of his fellow soldiers and drill sergeants who had not believed some pretty middle-class boy who had been studying economics in London could possibly make a decent Marine. Yet he had proven to be a fast learner in that too. Now he was on a helicopter to the next base of operations, ready for his next mission.

"Come on then!" Jim laughs, highly amused by his comrade's antics. "Let's hear it."

"Richmond Webb." the soldier grins broadly, looking pleased with himself.

Jim just laughs even more. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, my man was a seven time pro-bowler."

"I'm just saying-" Jim cuts off as his radio comes through, his CO on the other end. " Yes this is Lieutenant Kirk. yes sir, I did. I was wondering if you had a chance to forward my report on the Saabir Khan Bridge to anyone in intel. Yes sir, they are the same findings I already reported. I just can't help noticing a correlation between traffic pattern there and the region's other... Well, if they do respond, I would be happy to explain it to whoever's in charge of regional... Sir?"

The other soldier snorts slightly. "Still no love from the CO?"

"I don't get it, I'm just trying to help-"

The pilot shouts back from the front, informing them to all buckle up as they were about to hit some turbulence. Jim notices that the Private who had just joined them, Jenkins he vaguely remembers he was called, was struggling to do his harness up. "You alright there Private?"

Looking up from the harness, the Private nods. "Sir, yes sir!"

"Good man." Jim grins.

"Man I still don't get why you requested this detail. Big brain like yours' man, why aren't you behind some desk somewhere?" the soldier questions, watching his Lieutenant curiously. This man was some kind of genius if you asked him, the patterns he saw in shit. It was incredible. Yet here he was, on a helicopter with someone like him, a dumb grunt as he saw himself.

Jim's smile was forced, but not noticeably so, as he goes to reply though the Private looks at him in shock and cuts in. "Wait, you requested this?"

"Just figured that if I was gonna serve, I should serve." The blonde shrugs it off, hoping the topic will change.

Luckily the atmosphere brightens when the soldier grins and says; "Man that's some patriotic shit right there, you see that? You're all right Lieutenant. Even if you team is wack."

Rolling his eyes with a chuckle, Jim sighs dramatically. "Oh stop talking trash on the Cyclones, homeboy." he adds jokingly.

The Private listens and decides to try and pitch into the conversation. "I'm a Bengals fan."

At the same time, Jim and the other soldier both look at the Private and laugh as the exclaim; "The Bengals?!"

"Rookie get that harness on and stop trying to be down." The soldier laughs, Jim still laughing at the Private's little addition to the conversation.

Jim just grins at the Private. "You've got a lot to learn, Jenkins." And he watches as the Private continues to fumble with his harness, once again ending up speaking at the same time as the other soldier. "Left in, right twist, click."

"Thank you, sir!" The Private still fumbles however.

Smiling softly, Jim unfastens his harness and moves over to sit opposite the Private. "You want some help?" Just as he leans over to help the Private everything goes wrong. A rocket hits their helicopter, tearing it open and Jim barely manages to hold on as they crash down to the ground.

The crash itself and waking up is all a bit of a blur to Jim but despite the severe pain in his spine and his many lacerations and injuries, he drags both soldiers out of the heap and away from the crash before passing out from the pain.

When he comes to he's strapped to a board being wheeled through a medical tent, Doctors, Nurses and Soldiers milling around him. He must have missed part of the conversation as he hears one of the Medic's reply to the head surgeon. "-a chopper crash. Spinal cord should be okay, but he's got two shattered vertebrae and no feeling in his legs." As if to prove his point, the Medic probes at Jim's legs and gets no response from the man. Apparently he had been conscious briefly then, not that he recalled it.

The Surgeon looks down at Jim and shines a light in his eye to check his responsiveness. "Lieutenant Kirk! Lieutenant!" He looks up at the Medic again. "Anyone else make it out alive?"

"Yeah, two. Kirk dragged them both out to safety."

The Surgeon looks at his patient in shock. "With a broken back?" he shakes his head and looks at the Lieutenant. "Okay we're gonna have a look at your back, and it's going to hurt. Okay?"

The nurses and medics proceed to turn Jim onto his side after the count of three, his X-Rays on the board. Jim cries out in pain as he is moved and the Surgeon begins probing his back to get an idea of the damage done. "Well?" The Medic asks.

"Can't do anything from here. Evac him to NATO trauma in Kandahar right now. Get an ear out to Dr. M'Benga. Tell him to prep for a foraminotomy or possible spondylolisthesis. We got spinal compression and root damage at minimum. Lieutenant has about a 90minute window if he wants to walk again. Okay move move!" the Surgeon watches as Jim is wheeled out and says to himself. "That guy's done in this war."

_ Walter Reed Army Medical Centre  _

It had been a long time since Leonard McCoy had heard from his old Med school buddy Geoffrey M'Benga yet it didn't surprise him when he called him up asking for a favour. Although his specialty wasn't in physio he had experience with dealing with injured soldiers. "Listen Len, I know I'm asking a lot but... the number of soldiers we're sending home that need help... And they're going to need some serious help to recover. I just think, I just know that they could really benefit from your experience."

"I can't make any promises Geoff, if I can get the hospital to switch my shifts over to the centre then I will. I've seen the news, I know what's goin' on over there and I do want to help." So Leonard had pushed and insisted and made his case and somehow managed to get switched over to helping with the soldiers back from Iraq and Afghanistan.

So here he was, several months later, watching Jim walk with just one crutch now.

Jim was still unsure on his legs, his face a mask of pure exertion and effort to walk the short distance his doctor had asked him. Bones, as Jim had dubbed him, wasn't like the other doctors. He wasn't careful or cautious around Jim and wasn't afraid to push him further.

"Gently... Push more to the next level." Len encourages. "Good, that's really good Jim." he watches his patient make his progress. Jim groans and falls to the floor. "Come on, you can do this. Get up." Len watches him, his cantankerous manner and permanently frowning face that Jim usually found amusing aggravating him today.

Looking up into his hazel eyes, the blonde just glares at him. "I don't like you very much Bones."

"I've told you not to call me that. It's Dr. McCoy. And I'm here with you instead of performin' brain surgery as I should be, until you decide to walk." Len grumbles and watches him still. Jim didn't need to be coddled. He needed to be pushed and that was what he was doing.

"You're sick. You're a sadist." Jim complains.

Sighing, Len kneels down to look at him. "Come on Jim, meet me halfway." he frowns more as Jim mutters something. "What was that?"

"I said..." the blonde looks up, bright blue eyes pleading. "Give me two Percocet."

That wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear. It always worried Len that patients like Jim would become addicted to their pain medication. But he was aware of the damage done to his spine too and wasn't about to deny him it either. "Get up and I'll ask them for one. One." He holds up one finger to make sure the message gets through then when Jim nods he goes over to get it for him.

Up in the office looking over the soldiers all training in their own ways, Captain Chris Pike stands with one of the other doctors from the centre, watching Jim curiously. "How long has he been here?"

"Eight months now, I believe."

"Think he'll ever walk without crutches?" Pike turns to look at the doctor, looking away from Jim to gauge his response.

The doctor sighs and shrugs slightly. "Perhaps. If he decides he has somewhere to go." They look back down to the training room floor where Jim had managed to push himself back to stand using his crutch for support, looking exhausted from the effort.

"I'd like to meet him." When the doctor nods and goes to lead him down, Pike smiles and shakes his head. "Not now but soon. Thank you Doctor." He shakes his hand and leaves.

Len walks back over with the cup of water in one hand, the small pot with the pill in, in the other. "Can you do me a favour and wait two minutes before you take that?"

Now Jim was frowning, looking at Len like he'd just asked him to do the highland fling. "Why?"

"So that you know you can." Len responds with a strange, unreadable expression on his face that Jim couldn't quite discern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: My new fic! aaaaah~! So I finally got around to watch Jack Ryan and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought of this but screw it.  
> I don't quite know what to call this exactly, it's the same story of Jack Ryan but with the Star Trek characters and some of the story from that too... *shrugs* anyway, I hope you enjoyed the Prologue!  
> Also I would just like to add that I was 6 at the time of the 9/11 attacks so no, I recall nothing and had to look most of it up and I live in the UK and have never set foot in America in my life so anything to do with the US I got off the internet so forgive me for any mistakes.  
> Please let me know what you think, any and all constructive criticism is welcomed.  
> EDIT: Thank you to Annya for providing some really helpful information on PT I hope this works a tad better now!


	2. Making Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim gets his flirt on. Bones does not approve.

A few months had passed since Captain Pike had last checked in on Kirk, having received regular updates on his progress, reading through the notes that Doctor McCoy had written about him too. It would seem that the two men had become good friends over the past few months and Jim had begun to make a steady recovery. He could walk for longer periods without the crutches and was beginning to rely on them less and less. For lengthy walks however he found he still needed them and wasn't quite ready to push himself to run yet but he was getting there.

Now, donned in his dress uniform the Captain walks over to Jim and brings him out of his thoughts. "Lieutenant Kirk?"

Jim snaps out of it and looks up at the Officer stood in front of him. "Uh, Yes, Sir?" He moves to stand to attention but Pike stops him and smiles warmly at the young man.

"Please, at ease." He extends his hand to Jim. "Captain Christopher Pike, US Navy."

Shaking his hand, Jim looks over the vaguely familiar man and smiles when he recognises him. "Why the uniform today, Captain?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh well, just the last time you were here you wore a suit and tie and watched me from behind the glass in rehab. What can I do you for Captain?" Jim watches the other man curiously.

Pike continues to smile. "You've already done it Lieutenant. I just wanted to thank you for your service." Jim nods and accepts the thanks, appreciative of it. "James T Kirk, right? You  wrote liquidity events in Post-Soviet markets? Have a bit of a past too it seems, you crashed a car off a cliff in Iowa, as well as getting into a lot of bar fights in your teens?"

Chuckling, Jim recalls his past almost fondly now. It hadn't been great growing up with an absent Mother and an Uncle who felt you and your brother were ungrateful for living in his house. "I wrote two thirds of it yes, for my dissertation. And that is going back quite a way there Captain."

"You also filed three separate reports on the traffic patterns in and around the Saabir Khan Bridge?" Pike raises an eyebrow. "It's impressive work Kirk, as well as how quickly you changed your life around to get into college and then go on to do a Ph.D."

"Urm, thank you. Sir." Jim frowns as the Captain turns to leave. "How did you get a hold of that, Sir?"

Stopping in his tracks, Pike looks at the wall contemplating momentarily before looking at Kirk and whispering just loud enough for him to hear. "I'm in the CIA." Then, with nothing more to add he leaves.

~ * ~

Len had also been working hard over the past few months, using his more regular work schedule now to give himself time to work on his thesis on a new treatment he had been working on for quite some time now. He was hoping that he could present it soon and hopefully get a grant to start running trials and hopefully save lives.

Although he helped with other patients, he mainly worked with Jim now and it wouldn't be long before Jim was out of rehab and back into the big wide world. So Leonard had hoped to further his own career too. Not that he cared much for the money or even to be acknowledged for finding this cure, he just wanted to help people like his Father, and make sure there weren't people like him who had to watch their loved ones suffer anymore. Although he was sure his ex-wife would love for his wages to go up so she and their daughter (who he was rarely allowed to see) could get a bigger slice of his pay check.

Not that he's bitter or anything.

Their session was going to start soon however someone runs over with a message for Len to bring Jim down to the visiting area. He had visitors it seemed. "Bones, what's on the schedule for today?"

"Well it's just changed. We're goin' to walk down to the Visitors area. But just because we're not in here doesn't mean I don't expect you to keep pushin' yourself Jim." Len smiles as Jim tilts his head slightly, looking like the puppy he often envisioned his patient as being like. "You have visitors Jim, why else would be goin' down there?"

As they walk down through the halls, they talk about various things, mainly keeping it to small talk. "So uh, that guy in the suit that I kept spotting watching me in rehab? Yeah he came and spoke to me today... Captain Pike. Know him?"

"Yes actually." The doctor nods and keeps walking. Of course he knew him, the man had been given clearance to have all of Jim's paperwork as well as his own notes on his progress. And they had also met and spoken on a few occasions now too, without Jim of course. "So who will be visitin' you today? Do you know?"

Jim just shrugs. "Dunno. I was surprised with the visit from the Captain, now to get more... Jeez I sure am popular today huh Bones." The blonde winks at him. "Shame I can't seem to be more popular with a certain Doctor I know."

"Wow see now I know you've been thrown by all these visitors of yours Jim. You've thrown some pretty pathetic lines my way but that may have been the weakest yet." Len rolls his eyes at his patient. Honestly he didn't care about his patient's or friends sexuality, people could do as they pleased in their private lives as long as it was safe and legal, who was he to judge? But practically since they had gotten over the worst part of his PT the blonde had been flirting non-stop with the surgeon. It didn't stop him from flirting with the female doctors and nurses around either though which Len always found highly amusing.

Laughing, Jim grins and looks at the brunette. "Oh come on, that first one I used? That was pure gold and you know it Bones. Although it hurt my feelings a little that you laughed about it for a whole week. It wasn't that funny."

That just causes Len to start laughing now too. "You said, and I quote, 'hey baby did it hurt when you broke through the earth as you climbed out of hell because you are downright sinful'." He shakes his head at that. "But then you're young, I probably would've used lines like that too at your age if I'd been single."

"Oh... I didn't know you were with someone Bones." the soldier says apologetically. He never hit on unavailable people. That wasn't his thing.

But Len just shakes his head. "I'm not. I was married for a few years when I was much, much younger. I have a daughter." He smiles proudly as he thinks of his daughter who would be turning 12 in a few months. "Married my high school sweetheart, had a baby right away even though I went to college to become a Doctor." Why was he telling Jim this? "We got divorced in my first year as an intern at the Hospital in Atlanta which was about 5 years ago."

Sensing it was a touchy topic for him, Jim decides to focus on his Daughter, a topic he had noticed made him smile. Rather than asking how his marriage fell apart, that seemed a bit too deep of a conversation to have walking through down the hall. "So how old is your daughter?"

"Jo? She's 12 in May. God I'm gettin' old... My baby will be a teenager soon."

"Wow a teenage daughter. You are old." Jim grins and nudges him playfully. "Kidding Bones no need to look so offended. But you mustn't have been kidding about having her right out of school, 'cause there is no way you're that much older than me."

They arrive at the visitors area. "Not that it's any of your damn business but I turned 31 last week. Now go find your visitors." He walks into the room with him and immediately a blonde man who looks almost like a taller Jim walks over and hugs him then punches him on the arm.

"Ow. Good to see you too Sam- hey wait- ah come on give me a break!" Jim groans in frustration as the taller man grabs him in a playful headlock and gives him a noogie. Len watches in shock. Was this man not aware that Jim had _broken his back_?! "Hey whoa Bones it's okay... stop with the scary death glare. This is my older brother Sam." His brother lets him go as a petite woman walks over and takes her turn to hug him. "Hey Aurelan. Managed to abandon your ankle biters today?"

She hits his arm playfully. "You shouldn't call your nephews that. It's good to see you're okay though. We were so worried when we were told you'd broken your back... Today was the only day we could both have off and have my Mother watch the kids. Plus... We thought you might want some time to recover before we came down."

"Yeah time to heal before I kicked your ass for scaring us so badly." Sam grins. "And who is this?" He indicates to Len.

"Oh right yeah." Jim grins and turns slightly. "This is Bones, the doctor who has been oh so lovingly nursing me back to health. His sponge baths are better than yours Aurelan." he winks playfully at her.

However this joke goes down as well with Sam as it does with Len. "Jim." Sam says with slight warning and looking around with concern.

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Jim looks at his brother with slight frustration. "Hey don't ask don't tell remember? I haven't said a damn thing. Or am I not allowed to make jokes anymore?"

Len decides to step in before the two men have an argument. "Jim for the last time don't call me Bones. It's ridiculous. Nice to meet you Sam, Aurelan. I'm Doctor Leonard McCoy. Call me anythin' but Bones."

"Hey if you don't like Bones I can always come up with some new pet names for you. Like 'Sugah' or 'Darlin'." Jim sounded like he was joking but Len wasn't entirely sure and he wasn't quite ready to take that risk.

So he just sighs and indicates to a free set of sofas. "Bones is preferable to those if you absolutely insist on callin' me somethin' stupid. Why don't you all take a seat. I can stay or go, it's up to you three. If you want to know anythin' about Jim's progress or health feel free to ask."

"Well there's a few things I'd like to talk to Jim about that concern our past... so it's up to him whether or not he's comfortable with you knowing." Sam says carefully. "But yeah I'd really appreciate hearing on how you think he's doing. Not Jim. I wouldn't be surprised if this idiot was already trying to sign back up to parachute out of a plane."

Taking a moment to think, Jim just nods deciding that he trusted his Doctor with knowing about his past. There wasn't anything too shocking about it, it was just very personal to Jim. Plus when people found out he had been a delinquent they tended to change their opinion of him pretty quickly. "I trust Bones. He can know all my dirty little secrets if he asks nicely enough."

"Hey, want me to knock some sense into him to make him stop?" the older Kirk asks only slightly joking.

Len just grins evilly. "Nah it's fine. He keeps it up, I'll just lower his dosage of pain killers. Or find some more shots he needs."

Bright blue eyes go wide with slight fear, wary as to whether his friend was joking or not. Sam and Aurelan laugh at the sight. "You really are a sadistic bastard, you know that Bones?" He shudders slightly then turns his attention back to his older brother. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Do you know a guy called Captain Christopher Pike? 'Cause he came to the house a couple months back, to talk to me about Mom and Dad. Apparently he knew both of them. He was in the Navy with Dad. He didn't really say how he knew our Mom, just that they'd been friends. Assured me that he was keeping an eye on you after everything..." Sam clenches his fists slightly. "Which is nice to know but Jim, I meant it when I said I'd been worried. I lost Dad to the Marines, then Mom to the attack and nearly you to the Marines again too. You were all set to get your Ph.D. in London! What the hell were you thinking?! You should've gone back after the funeral... Or am I going to lose my baby brother too?"

Jim's expression changes to a much darker one that Len had never seen on the usually bright and cheerful face, even when he'd had his really tough and down days, he had never seen him look quite like this. "That's unfair Sam. Yeah I know the Captain. He came to see me earlier. Look, it's not like I can go back to the Marines now anyway so there's no need to guilt trip me alright? I can barely walk on my own at the moment. I sincerely doubt I'll ever be able to go back. Happy? Also I didn't go back because I don't run away from things Sam, unlike you, I fight."

"That's low Jim-"

"And what you said wasn't? Look it's great seeing you and I missed you guys but if this is all you came to say then you can just leave now. I'm not getting into a discussion about my choices or what choices I plan to make. I just want to get better and get out of this place." Jim stands and looks at Len. "You coming Bones? We had a schedule for today right? So, let's go."

Without waiting, Jim leaves, pushing himself to walk faster than he had been able to push himself before to get away and to make a point of how pissed he was at the moment. Len turns to Sam and Aurelan after Jim has left. "I'm have nothin' to say on that, it's none of my business. I'll just tell you what I know about Jim's physical well-bein'. He was lucky, they got him in surgery in time so he will, with time and hard work get back to as near as he once was. As is possible for him to be, that is. I'm not a bettin' man but I'd lay money on him bein' out of here before the end of the year."

"Thank you, Dr.McCoy." The couple stand and leave, leaving Len to go find his patient and hope he hadn't hurt himself from pushing too hard out of anger.

Luckily Jim was just sat in the gardens, on one of the many benches, eyes closed and shivering slightly due to the fact it was early February and he was wearing sweat pants and a short sleeved top and trainers, nothing else. "Goddamnit man you're gonna freeze to death out here. Come back inside."

"What, not going to be a gentleman and wrap that warm coat of yours around me Bones? Tsk, so much for my fantasy of you being a true southern gentleman."  The Lieutenant jokes half-heartedly but stands up and follows him back inside. "Sorry Bones I just... I needed some fresh air and... I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of that. If I'd known that was what Sam had meant I would have told you to go get a coffee or something... You must have felt so awkward..."

Deciding to throw Jim a bone, Len attempts to lighten the mood as well as sharing some of his own private life too. "Not as awkward as your own Mother sidin' with your ex-wife in the divorce. Come on Jim, we can sob about our pathetic pasts another time. We have work to do, right?"

"I... You, wait Bones you can't drop something like that on me and expect me to not want to talk about it!"

"I can and I am. Move it before I really do go find some needles to poke you with."

A few people nearby look at the two men curiously as Len bursts into laughter as Jim mutters; "You really are a goddamn sadist..." They head back to rehab to do more training where Jim decides to pick up a conversation from before they saw his brother. "Come on Bones, one date. I know you're not seeing anyone at the moment. People gossip, especially when we're all stuck in this building together for long periods of time."

"That's not the issue kid." Len was pretty sure he was going to need to start sleeping with something cool on his eyes from the sheer amount he rolls them nowadays. "I'm your Doctor you're my patient. Besides, you're a young attractive man Jim, we both know there are more than a few women here that would happily go out with you. Why are you wastin' your time on a 31 year old divorcee with a teenage daughter that lives in a crappy studio apartment?"

Jim sighs dramatically. "Who knows, maybe I'm bored of people who will date me so easily. Maybe I want the chase, the challenge you present. Or maybe I'm not as fickle as you seem to think I am and I genuinely like you Bones, and would like to get to know you better." Then he laughs slightly. "Besides, I'm a 25 year old ex-marine with a broken back, no place at all, no job and has never been in a long term relationship. I'd hardly say I've got much else going for me than my pretty face and sharp wit."

"Well you have the pretty face, sure."

"Oh, nice. Real nice Bones."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I hope you all enjoyed chapter 2 and thank you to everyone who has read and commented so far!  
> Now I'm going to get some sleep because it's 4am and I'm about ready to pass out.  
> Any constructive criticism is welcomed :3


	3. Parting ways, for Now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Pike is slowly setting up everything to fall into place, Bones is leaving and Jim finally makes plans for the future.

Sat in the office that Len had commandeered for the period of his stay helping at the centre, he finishes up checking over his thesis, ready to hand in for approval and winces at the dial up noise as he connects to the internet to send M'Benga an email to find out when he was coming home to the states so they could catch up. That's when a knock comes at the door and Captain Pike walks in, although he was in civvies today and not a suit or his uniform today. "How can I help you Captain?"

"A friend of mine tells me you're hoping of getting a grant to test a thesis of yours? So you'd need to be at a University and near a medical college, right?" Pike leans against the door frame slightly. "If you want, I have some other friends in San Francisco who will help push to make sure your application goes through. They'd be eager to have you there for the duration."

Len's eyes go wide and he watches the Captain curiously. "Why? I mean, of course I'd appreciate that Captain but what would you get out of it?"

"You've been more than just Kirk's doctor, you've been his friend and helped him recover more than just physically. I care about that kid, he doesn't really remember me but that's okay. It doesn't matter right now. You're helping him in a way I can't, his brother can't and his parents aren't around to help." Pike walks forward. "So this would be my way of saying thanks. Plus it's always good to make more friends." 

Now Len understood more what the Captain was getting at. Pike evidently liked having people he could ask favours for and in turn do favours for these people. Yes, friends was definitely one word for it. But then, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing to have someone like Pike as a friend. "I see. Well that would be awfully kind of you if you would. I've always wanted to go to San Francisco. Thank you, Captain. And Jim is lucky to have someone like you watchin' over him."

Pike just smiles. "Please, call me Chris and you're welcome Doctor." With that he leaves the surgeon to let what had just happened sink in. This wasn't the first time the Captain had popped in on him either but usually it was a quick chat, talking about Jim and work and sometimes yes about themselves knowing the bare bones of each other but general chit chat. Now he had gained a powerful friend who clearly had a lot of connections all over the place.

In reality, although Pike could clearly see that McCoy was a brilliant Doctor and yes his work would hopefully produce some great results, the reason he wanted the man in San Francisco was a tad unusual. But that wasn't important yet, for now he was just laying the ground work. He kept an eye on Jim too when he popped in to visit but it wasn't the right time to speak to him again yet. Although he was aware that he'd been speaking to his older brother more now to try and find out more about Pike.

As had become a part of their routine now, Len heads down to go find Jim to have lunch with the man. This was something they had started doing a few months ago and had just continued, enjoying one another's company and talking as friends. It was something both men had actually come to rely on as neither would willingly talk to a professional about their issues. Instead talked to each other. The first time Jim had opened up and spoke of his past, Len had been slightly reluctant, ("Damnit Jim I'm not _that_ kind of head doctor.") but once reassured that Jim was seeking to talk to Len as a friend and not a professional soon made that reluctance vanish.

"Hey Bones." Jim grins at his friend as he approaches and they walk down to a café just around the corner from the centre that they had found a couple of weeks ago and both had preferred to anywhere else. It was cozy, with good food and comfortable sofas. They both had scoffed at the other man's choice of drink the first time too. Len liked his coffee black no sugar. It was just how he'd always been, whereas Jim got some ridiculous concoction with syrups, cream, sugar and god only knows what else in it. "So I'm being sent back out into the big wide world in 2 months. They gave me the date today. I'm going to have to go stay with Sam and Aurelan until I can find a place of my own but... It'll be fine."

"You sound real sure of that." the surgeon frowns and sips his coffee. "All the way back to Iowa huh? Long way to go from D.C."

Jim just shrugs and plays with his food. "Well, what else can I do? I haven't got anyone else. When I signed up for the Marines, I didn't exactly plan for this... Honestly I just signed up and then let myself get absorbed in training and my work. I didn't think about leaving or an 'after'."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong," Len puts down his mug and looks directly at Jim, making sure to get eye contact. "But to me, that sounds like you didn't plan on survivin' the war. Or bein' a Marine."

Thinking carefully, the Lieutenant knew he was going to have to word his response carefully. "Perhaps at the start I went in with that attitude but once I was there, I wanted to save lives and help people, serve my country. But I rushed in head first and didn't think about what I'd do is more what I meant." Going quiet for a moment, Jim decides to finally talk to his friend about some things he had been holding back from their chats where they opened up. "Thing is it's going to be weird living with Sam again... I mean, when he visited you remember I said how I fight and he runs away from his problems?"

"Yeah Jim, I remember. You struck a chord there with him if I recall correctly. I didn't want to pry though." Len knew the basics about his life, about how his dad had died on the day of his birth and his mother died in the world trade centre 3 years ago and they'd talk briefly about some of what had resulted because of these events, but Jim had actually said very little about his older brother.

Taking a deep breath, Jim puts down his coffee. "Well I said it on purpose knowing it would. Because I was being literal with that, whenever things get too hard for Sam he runs away whereas I fight, physically usually. Sam and I lived with our Uncle, Frank when we were kids and our Mom was pretty much never at home, always at work in NY. And he was a bitter old bastard. He hated me and Sam, I don't really remember why I just knew he did. Anyway he drank heavily and started beating the crap out of us for the smallest thing. When Sam was 15, I was 12, he ran away from home. That was when I uh, took my Dad's car that Frank said was his and crashed it off the cliff. Mom and I didn't hear from him again until I was halfway through my degree, just showed up one day with Aurelan and their kid. That was it."

Gently placing his hand on top of Jim's, Len squeezes softly and reassuringly, hoping to comfort him. "There's more to it though, isn't there?"

"Yeah... Yeah. At Mom's funeral Sam just left. He got up and just vanished, even Aurelan didn't know where he was. Again he ran away, left his wife and kids alone. And you know what, fuck it, I'm mad at him for leaving me alone to deal with all that bullshit at Mom's funeral. It sucked ass not having someone to lean on. I get it, we all grieve in different ways but we're the only family we have left and he just abandoned all of us." Clenching his fists, Jim uses every bit of willpower he has to hold back the angry tears welling in his eyes. "So I joined the Marines. I was going to fight."

Now Len knew he had to be careful how he worded his next couple of sentences or Jim would get mad at him and not hear what he had to say, and if he could get Jim to see his point he might be able to work past this with his brother and restore the connection to his only living relative. "You're right, Sam shouldn't have left you and his wife and kids like that but... Jim, you ran away too. Just like Sam did, sure you didn't leave anyone behind but you ran to the army. Perhaps you can try and see why he did what he did, from your own actions?"

Jim goes quiet, no particular expression on his face as he processes this and Len was worried he may have crossed a line and that Jim was just going to get up and leave and not want to speak to him again. But he doesn't, he just sighs with resignation and looks at Len. "You're right... I... damn you're right. All those times I got into bars with a fake ID to get drunk and start fights... I was just running away from my problems too. You know, the only reason I went to college was because I got blind drunk and started a fight with four guys. Anyway I held my own pretty well but I got the shit kicked outta me. This guy comes in and whistles really loud and breaks up the fight, kicks everyone out of the bar and gets me some ice for my face. I don't remember what he looked like or who he was but he sat me down and challenged me to do more with my life, basically kicked me up the ass. Told me if I was unhappy then to stop crying about it and do something about it. So I did."

"You're human Jim, everyone runs away from their problems throughout most of their adult life." He squeezes his hand again and sits back, drinking his coffee and mulling over the information he had just received on Jim's past.

Feeling brave, Jim decides to bring up the little tidbit that Len had given him when Sam had come to visit a little while ago, wondering if the man would share his story with him, if he trusted him enough now. "So uh, was that what you did? I mean, moving out here from Atlanta, were you running away from your problems?"

Laughing humourlessly, Len puts his mug down on the table and shakes his head, leaning forward slightly. "Not runnin' away from a problem as much, more about runnin' away from the people. My ex-wife, my Momma, hell even my co-workers. Everyone sided with Joss even though we both had our faults. After my Dad died I started drinkin' pretty heavily." Len swallows guiltily, pushing the bile back down. "Never around Jo, just whenever I wasn't at work or due to be I drank heavily. Joss and I started arguin' more. She wanted me to be a GP or go into private practice, money and hours were better was her argument which is true, I guess but I never became a surgeon to earn good money. Turned out that even before I started doin' my internship at the Hospital Joss had been havin' an affair for a whole goddamn year. I only found out because Jo caught them and told me." Jim makes a disgusted noise at that. "Yeah well I went and did somethin' stupid then didn't I. I went and got blind drunk and stumbled home and woke Jo up with my shoutin' and ragin' at Joss. I got kicked out for the night, stayed at my Momma's. Then we filed for divorce. I have visitation rights but nothin' else. Joss took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones."

"What a bitch, damn Bones... oh now the nickname really fits and is never going away. But I can't believe your Mom would side with a woman who'd been cheating on you for a year! And Jo caught them having sex? That's... But she clearly still loves her Dad to pieces regardless of how much of a bitch your ex-wife and Mom are." Len just nods, not really wanting to talk about it anymore. He hadn't spoken of it in a long time and it always made him feel sick that he'd let his baby girl see him in that state. "Anyway, how's your thesis going? Are you feeling confident?" Jim senses Len's discomfort and quickly changes the topic.

"Yeah, I am." They spend the rest of their lunch talking about lighter subjects, mainly Len's work and his hopes and what it'd mean to him if it all played out as he hoped it would. He was submitting it today although it could be quite a while until he heard back on whether he had been approved or declined for his grant. "Oh and I uh, I hope you don't mind me askin' Jim but Jo is writin' about the two of us for a project at school and I said I'd try and get a picture of us and maybe one of you in your uniform if I could. You don't have to I only said I'd try."

Jim smiles fondly and nods. "Of course Bones. Anything for the charming McCoy's. I haven't met Joanna but if she's anything like you, I'm sure she'd have me wrapped around her little finger too." It was always nice when Len spoke about his daughter, he always looked so proud and happy. Most of the time.

"Ha! If I have you wrapped around my little finger Jim, why are you so goddamn unwillin' to do anythin' I say?" Shaking his head, Len smiles gratefully at him. "But thank you Jim. She'll be ecstatic. It's not a big project, it's just like a diary thing on your family and their jobs and how this has influenced what they wanna be."

"I do have one condition." Jim puts on his best serious face he can muster. "You have to promise to wear that sexy white overcoat." He winks playfully then laughs at the glare on his friends face. Clearly his serious face had worked better than he had thought it would and he'd thought Jim genuinely wanted something in return.

Standing up, Len just continues to glare at the blonde. "You're an asshole, Jim. I hope you know that."

Jim grins and nods. "Yeah but you love it and my fantastic ass."

"I'm going to kill you."

~ * ~

Barely a month later and Len already hears back from the committee who have approved him the grant and expect for him to head down to San Francisco ASAP, especially as Jim was being released in a month too and saw no reason for him to stay. Staring at his phone, putting back on the receiver only moments ago, Len just shakes his head. Guess Pike really did have some friends in high places. Checking the time, Len realises he was going to have to go say goodbye to Jim as he really would have to start packing up and heading down to San Francisco right away. It was late and raining, around the time he usually leaves and around the time Jim would be getting ready to go for his run around the grounds.

Grabbing his stuff he heads out to find his friend and tell him the good news and spots him getting ready to go for his run. "Jim, hey I'm glad I found you. I just heard back, they approved my request and I have to head out straight away..."

"Oh, hey, I guess this is good bye then... Congratulations." Jim stops rubbing his knees to warm them up and turns to face the surgeon. "So uh, seeing as this is your last night here and I'm hungry, want to buy me dinner?" He grins cheekily and hopes the last ditch effort would pay off.

It doesn't. "Jim... I... You know I can't."

"Okay, okay you win. I'll pay." It scared Jim that he might not see his friend again for a while, especially as Jim would be heading out to Iowa pretty soon and he had no idea where Bones was going. If this was going to be the last time they saw each other then Jim was going to try his hardest in getting a date out of him.

Smiling fondly at the flirting which would normally have exasperated him, Len throws him a bone. "I'll make you a deal. Next time we see each other, if you can run the same distance from here all the way down to the curb, we'll get dinner and split the check."

"I'll hold you to that Bones. Good luck and you can bet your ass you're gonna see me again and we're gonna go on that date." They share a brief, friendly hug before Len waves and leaves, heading back to his apartment to pack and arrange everything.

Pushing off, Jim begins running around the small gardens and nearly passes an open door to a building with a familiar figure stood inside. He stops and heads inside, laughing slightly at the sight of Pike stood there in the dark room waiting for him. "Jesus you weren't kidding, you _are_ in the CIA."

"Somebody has to be. Why didn't you finish your Ph.D.?" Pike cuts the crap and jumps straight to what he wanted to know. Everything was falling into place as he wanted it to, Leonard McCoy would soon be in San Francisco studying with some old friends of his where he could keep an eye on him and hopefully if this conversation panned out then he could also have someone to keep tabs on Jim for him too.

"I joined the Marines." Jim says tiredly. He wasn't in the mood for explaining himself again. Tonight had already been pretty shit with Bones leaving and turning him down again. He really wasn't feeling up to justifying every decision he's made in his life, especially not to this person he barely knew.

Pike nods. "And saved two of your men. You handled yourself like a hero. If you still want to serve your country, there's another way." What he needed from that was to know why Jim had dropped out, to know it wasn't because of the degree. Although he was fairly certain he had to be 100% sure.

Looking at the Captain with speculation, he laughs slightly. "You're not really in the CIA are you? What are you? Treasury? Foreign Asset Control?" Jim pauses and wiggles his brows jokingly. "Chippendales? I mean, I know I have a pretty good looking bod..."

"You know, I'm not supposed to tell anyone what I do for a living and look, I've told you twice now. And really Jim, I'm flattered that you think I could work at Chippendales." Pike smirks and watches Jim flounder as his joke backfires slightly.

"What do you want from me, Captain?"

Now they were getting somewhere. "I want to send you back to school to finish your doctorate. Then you'll join Financial Intelligence as an analyst. You'll work in a series of private banks on Wall Street, where you'll use your position to uncover funding for terror groups. Oh and seeing as how you still don't remember me I'm going to give you a little reminder." He whistles loudly the same way he had all those years ago when he broke up the bar fight and had encouraged Jim to go back to school properly and go to college.

Bright blue eyes go wide slightly as he recognises the noise and lets it sink in. This man he clearly been in his life a lot longer than he had chosen to remember. "You whistle really loud, you know that." Jim presses his finger into his ear and winces slightly. "So, you want me to be a covert agent?"

"Yep. so you have to keep it to yourself. Your employers won't know you work for us. The people you love won't know you do, either. It's gonna get lonely but it'd how we like to do things. I planned to find you after Winona's funeral but you were gone, already rushing off to be a Marine. I promised her I'd keep an eye on her boys for her. And I always have. But now this is different. I'm introducing you to this life because I think you could do something great to help Jim. Not because of your parents or anything else. Because of your incredible talent." Pike watches him carefully, wary of the smile that was on his face, as if he was sceptical about the whole thing.

Leaning against the wall, Jim raises an eyebrow at him. "You know, people don't like you guys very much these days. Waterboarding. Rendition. You're gonna have to do better than that to persuade me."

The Lieutenant didn't expect that to provoke such a dark look from the Captain but it did. "Not my unit." Pike says firmly. "I can do better and I do. So does my unit. We're the ones who make sure we don't get hit again. Besides, Winona would rise from the dead to choke me in my sleep if I got her son involved with that side of our work even if it was my unit. This job is dangerous and not risk free. Your mother knew that when she signed on with us. And now so do you."

"Okay, let's say for a minute that I believe all of this and I'm willing to go along with it, I can't afford to go back to school. I can't even afford to get my own place right now never mind anything else. I'm homeless." Jim frowns, knowing that he was going to end up agreeing to what Pike was presenting him with.

Smiling, Pike knew he had won this round and he was going to have an even more effective team with Jim on it once he had his degree. "Don't worry about that. I have a fund set aside for it and I have some contacts in San Francisco where you can study and live for the duration of your degree. After that we can set you up pretty quickly with an apartment in New York. I have it all sorted and ready, just need you to agree to it."

"Fuck it why not. I'm not going to turn down an opportunity like this." Jim hoped it wasn't too obvious how pumped he actually was that this was happening. His biggest fear was that he was going to end up in some crap little job in a tiny apartment, unable to do anything for a while but rely on his older brother as nothing but a burden. Plus who knows, maybe San Francisco would take his mind off Bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Pike may or may not be unknowingly be playing matchmaker here heh.   
> I decided I wanted to fill in a few more blanks on their pasts and stuff for this chapter and set up for the next one. As I've said before I know nothing about the US so I honestly have no clue what kind of universities are there I just wanted it to be there because of Starfleet. *shrugs*   
> All constructive criticism welcomed and big love to everyone who has read this and left comments/kudos etc you're all wonderful people.


	4. Serendipity or Planned?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bones gets a shock, Jim sings into a spatula and Gaila and Jo film it.

Len had settled in San Francisco and had been in the shared house for just over a month now and although everyone was getting ready back at the house to welcome the new student that would be living with them, he was here instead shopping for a mobile phone with Jo. He had tried holding off getting a new one, happy to keep using what his daughter lovingly called his 'brick' for personal use and his pager for work but he couldn't say no to his baby girl and she wanted one too so she could text and call him whenever she wanted and insisted that he needed a new phone too. As he had guessed Joss was thrilled to hear that Len would be sending a bit more money from now on too. Although she hadn't been as pleased when Len had informed them that he was going to be in SF and Jo had begged to go down with her dad and stay with him for the weekend. Hence why they were now walking around all the shops with Len buying his baby girl anything she wanted. Well almost, he wasn't going to spoil her too badly.

"Ooh Daddy look they do this one in pink! And look you can get one to match in blue or black too! Can we have this one please daddy? Please?"  Jo grins, standing in the middle of the phone shop pointing at the Motorola Razr. It was a simple flip phone with a large screen and a smaller one on the back of it to display the time. "Plus look it's like a flip phone from the spy films, we can look like super cool secret agents."

Chuckling, Len kisses her head and nods, getting the attention of one of the staff members asking if they had a pink and a black one in stock. Rushing off to check, Len works out which contracts to get them. "Okay but first thing you're gonna do when it's all set up is give your Momma a call, okay darlin'?"

"I would know that drawl anywhere." A voice from behind them says and Len whirls around in shock, there was no way it could be him. Yet there he was, hands shoved in his pockets with a stupid grin on his face and his insanely blue eyes brimming with joy. "Bones! What are you doing here in San Francisco?"

Jo gasps and grins, stepping forward as she recognises who he was. "Hi Jim! I'm Jo, Daddy lives out here now. Thank you for the picture you took with Daddy for me, I never got to thank you for it."

Looking at the young pre-teen Jim smiles even brighter. She was a spitting image of Len but with dark blonde hair instead of brunette. "Oh yeah I remember, you're welcome. So you finally managed to convince your Dad to join the 21st century and get a mobile phone, huh?"

Before his daughter can continue distracting from the fact that Jim was _here_ Len cuts in and frowns. "What are you doin' here Jim? I thought you were goin' back to Iowa?"

"Good to see you too Bones, yeah I'm great thanks for asking." Jim says sarcastically then sighs when Len's expression doesn't change. "Pike found me after you left and convinced me that coming back to finish my degree was for the best, so here I am. He set me up with housing and stuff and I got the funding to finish my Ph.D. One of the girls from the house dragged me out, insisting that she show me around all the best shops and stuff when I remembered I needed a new phone."

Gaila comes running over and grins. "Hey Leo I see you met our new housemate. Awesome. Jim, you're a damn genius you know that." She grins and holds up her hand which had a phone number written on it. "I got a date."

"Leo? Really Bones... Anyway I'll leave you to spend the day with your daughter and uh, I guess I'll see you back at the house then." Jim chuckles and goes over to pay for his phone then leaves with Gaila.

It was only Jo pulling him over to the counter to collect their own phones that pulls Len out of his shock. Paying for their phones and filling out all the necessary paperwork, Len thinks about how it was most definitely a coincidence that Pike sent himself and Jim to the same University and to live in the same accommodation. If he were to guess as to why it was most likely that the man wanted to keep them in one place to check in with his new friends and for Len to keep an eye on Jim, make sure he coped with diving straight back into the deep end. Although so far, he had to give Jim credit as he looked like he was adjusting back to civilian life pretty well.

They continue shopping, stopping briefly to grab something quick (but healthy, spoiling his baby girl or not, he was a Doctor and a Father and he was going to make sure his baby ate properly) to eat, making their way around the various shops. Jo had called Joss on her phone and had excitedly told her about her new phone and clothes Len had bought her. Soon they'd head back to the house and Len decides to just accept that what Pike had done had been done and to admit to himself that he was actually really glad that Jim was here, not stuck living with a Brother he still felt a lot of resent towards.

Back at the house, Jim frowns slightly, yes it made sense that he would ensure that Jim settled back into the swing of things by putting him with a familiar face and more importantly, someone he trusted implicitly. But it felt like there was something else going on, a bit of information being held from him. Then again, he wasn't going to complain any time soon either, or kick up a fuss with Pike. He had been heartbroken at the thought of not seeing his good friend again and losing contact with him, honestly he was also pretty psyched because he certainly hadn't forgotten that Len had agreed to go on a date with him if they bumped into each other again.

"So how do you know Leo? Also why do you call him Bones?" Gaila grins and waggles her brows suggestively. "Is it because of a certain Bone in his body?"

"I wish." Jim sighs dramatically as he helps her prepare dinner. "He was my Doctor at the centre, don't actually know why he was helping me with my PT considering he's a surgeon but I'm glad he did."

The red head shrugs and takes the chopped vegetables from him and puts it into the pot. "He looked a little lost when he first moved in here, kinda kept to himself you know? Not to say that he didn't talk to us or anything he just... I don't know, I guess it took him a week or two to adjust being out of the centre too you know? I mean, he must have spent every day of your recovery with you in that place, to go from that to living with a bunch of twenty year olds that have a lot of sex and parties, must be a shock to the system."

"I bet..." They both look up as Len returns with Jo, the young girl running up to the spare room she was staying in to go sort out all of the stuff that had been bought for her today. "Hey Bones, we're making... uh, what are we making again Gaila?"

"Chilli."

"Right, we're making a huge pot of food, you and Jo going to join us?" Jim smiles and keeps chopping bits for Gaila as she stirs the huge pot of chilli and the rice in the other pan, boiling away. "We've made enough to feed everyone on campus... so there's more than enough..."

Len smiles back, nodding and breathing in the scent of the chilli cooking. "Yeah, thanks. Jo loves spicy food. She'll love it. It smells good Gaila." He turns to leave and go to his room and Jim follows, having finished helping with dinner. But Len was caught up in his thoughts and hadn't noticed the blonde following him until he was at his room and turns to close the door and is face to face with the younger man. "Oh, Jim sorry I was thinkin' about... never-mind, what's up?"

Grinning ear to ear, Jim leans on the door frame. "I can run more than just the distance from the entrance to the curb now. I go for quite long runs actually. And we've met up again. So..."

"Oh right... the uh date. Well Jo goes back to her Mom tomorrow so I guess we could go somethin' to eat after I've dropped her at the airport? Joss is flyin' down to come get her." Len's eyes widen slightly as he realises he had just completely given in and agreed to the date with Jim without a fight. Perhaps it was just how comfortable he was around Jim that he didn't feel the need to have his guard up at all times to not expose his sexuality.

Then again Jim must have been comfortable and trusting of Len too considering how much he flirts with the surgeon, which eased Len's nerves slightly. Jim was thrilled that the date was actually going to happen and it took all his self restraint to not start jumping up and down excitedly like a puppy. "Great I'll uh, book us a table at this place I saw nearby... looks like it'd be a fun night." Grinning like an idiot, Jim heads back downstairs whilst Len just shakes his head with a fond smile on his face.

Jo walks out and looks at her dad with her head tilted slightly. "What're you smilin' 'bout Daddy?"

"Hm? Oh nothin' baby girl. Just my friend Jim bein' an idiot. They're makin' chilli for dinner, sound good?" Len smiles even more as his daughter now grins in a fairly similar way to how Jim had been and drags him downstairs with her.

Dinner is fantastic, really Len is pretty sure he's going to be devastated when he no longer has Gaila's food to eat when they all finish their degrees and work. The conversation is pleasant and he is surprised to see Jim and Jo laughing and talking animatedly to each other throughout most of dinner. Jim loved the house and everyone in it already, even if he and Len didn't work out dating he was glad to have his friend back in his life. Although it hadn't been long since they'd last seen each other, the last few weeks at the centre without the cantankerous surgeon had been boring as hell for the blonde. Jo was like a miniature version of her dad but more mischievous and Jim wasn't going to ever let the opportunity to teach her how to pull harmless pranks on her dad. Gaila turns to the two men after they've all finished eating and grins. "Since I cooked, you two get the job of washing up and putting everything away. I'm going to give Jo a make-over with my expensive make up." The two girls practically sprint away from the table and up to Gaila's room.

"I'm surrounded by children..." Len rolls his eyes and pats a pouting Jim on the back. "Come on let's go tidy up, do you wanna wash or dry?"

"Uh, wash 'cause I don't know where anything goes yet." They put the radio on whilst they clean and hum along to some of the songs, enjoying the comfortable silence between the two of them as they move about the kitchen, cleaning as they go. Len ends up doubled over in laughter as Jim starts singing along to 'Hooked on a Feeling' into a spatula and dances around like a complete idiot. "Come on Bones! I know you know this song so don't hold out on me."

Len just whips his thigh with the tea towel. "Hell no I don't sing Jim. But nice try."

"You can sing the Ouga-Chaka's!" Jim grins and laughs at the scandalised look on his face. " _I'mmm, I'mmm Hooked on a feeling. I'm high on believing that you're in love with me. All the good love, when we're all alone. Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on._ " Winking at the brunette, Jim almost can't keep singing from laughing so much at the expression on his face. " _Ahaha I'm hooked on a feeling, I'm high on believing, That you're in love with me~!_ "

Unbeknown to the two men, the two girls had finished up and were watching the two men from the stairs, filming the entire thing on Gaila's camera. She was so glad she had bought it now. Jo giggles into her hand and smiles as they stop singing and get back to cleaning. "I've never seen Daddy laugh like that. Will you promise to send me a copy of the video to me please?" She looks up at the red-head with bring green eyes. "Pretty please?"

"Of course princess." Gaila grins and leads her back upstairs to give the two men some privacy. She wonders briefly if Christine, the other girl living in the house, would take a bet on how long it would be before they hooked up.

They then all crash in their pyjamas on the sofas in the living room and find a film to watch until they all needed to go to bed. Jim had to go finish filling out some forms for the university in the morning, Gaila had work and Len had to take Jo back to the airport at lunch time but he wanted to spend the morning with her before she went. Gaila is the first to succumb and head off to bed, and soon Jo starts yawning so Len sends her up, getting a hug and a kiss goodnight. Surprisingly even Jim gets a hug before the girl trudges up to bed tiredly. "Is there anyone your daughter can't wrap around her little finger Bones?"

"She's just very outgoin' and confident. Not like her old man at all." Len shakes his head, smiling proudly. "That's her own quality she didn't get that from me or her Momma."

Jim stares at his friend incredulously. "Seriously, Bones? She's practically your clone! Sure you're a helluva lot grouchier than she is but you're also old and bitter- ow!" Pouting, the blonde rubs his ribs where Len had jabbed him with his elbow. "Jeez okay so you're not that old... don't get too worked up about it gramps." He manages to dodge the next jab by jumping up but it wasn't what Len was really after anyway and grins in triumph as the younger man does exactly as he had hoped and poked him right in the back of the knee causing his friend to fall  to the floor, laughing and making a yelp in shock. "Note to self... stop picking on the Doctor who knows all the weak points in the human body..."

"Damn straight. Insolent kid." Len musses his hair and chuckles softly as Jim pouts again and tries to sort out his hair. "Good night, Jim."

"Wait Bones there was something I wanted to ask that I forgot to earlier. You weren't the only surgeon in the centre, granted but why were you helping me out and stuff and not down with the other surgeons? Kinda weird isn't it?" Jim tilts his head slightly.

Len turns and looks down at the blonde who had made himself comfortable on the floor. "When I was a med student I took PT to make up my points and because two of my friends took it to make up theirs, so I have experience plus Joss' family were all military so I'm used to dealin' with soldiers. Especially when they decided that me marryin' Joss meant they could get free medical advice from me. So I quickly learned the best way to deal with stubborn soldiers." He shrugs. "My friend that I took PT with, Geoff, he was the surgeon that performed on you in Afghanistan and asked me to go down to the centre to help out with the PT because of my experience. Said it'd help the centre because they mainly only had med students available to help with the actual PT."

Nodding, Jim processes silently. "So I was just a lucky son of a bitch to get you to help me then?" He grins and laughs as Len just rolls his eyes and heads up the stairs. "Night Bones!" Tomorrow was going to be amazing, Jim thinks as he heads up to bed too. He had the perfect date in mind and if he weren't the sort to jump without looking he may have been having second thoughts about it but he is that type so he was entirely confident that everything was going to work out in his favour. Besides he had everything worked out and he had faith in his judgement of his friend. They would have a fun night regardless as to whether or not they continued their relationship in a romantic way or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Slightly shorter chapter but I decided I would leave the date until the next chapter. I hope that so far everything is making sense and whatnot.  
> I couldn't resist but give Bones and Jo the mobile phone my mother and I had in 2005 (although she had pink and I had black but... anyway).  
> Please let me know what you thought!


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